Periwinkle plant named Ralph Shugert

ABSTRACT

A lesser periwinkle plant named Ralph Shugert, characterized by its glossy, reflexed foliage which is deep green and surrounded by thin white margins, and its large, deep violet, five-parted flowers.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Vincaminor, hereafter referred to by the cultivar name Ralph Shugert.

Ralph Shugert is a new and distinct variety of lesser periwinkle, asuffrutiscent creeping vine similar to European and Western Asian groundcovers. Ralph Shugert is outstanding for its very glossy, deep greenfoliage surrounded by thin white margins. It is characterized, inaddition, by its large, deep-violet, five parted flowers.

Ralph Shugert originated as a branch sport of the cultivar Vinca minorBowlesii -- an all green leaved, large flowered cultivar. The firstsuccessful asexual reproduction of Ralph Shugert (named for a prominentAmerican Horticulturist) was carried out by its discoverer, David S.Mackenzie. This propagation took place under controlled conditions atHortech, Spring Lake, Mich., on Aug. 1, 1986.

The sport was excised and sectioned three times to create three leaf andnode cuttings. Following treatment with the root promoting product"Rootone" and six weeks under intermittent mist, three rooted cuttingswere transplanted for evaluation.

On Nov. 9, 1987 international registration as a woody plant cultivar wasapplied for. The International Registrar, at Longwood Gardens, Del.,approved the application for registration on Nov. 16, 1987.

Ralph Shugert has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions, and the phenotype may vary significantly with variations inenvironment, such as temperature, light intensity and day length. Thefollowing observations, measurements and comparisons describe this plantas grown in Spring Lake, Mich. under greenhouse conditions thatapproximate those generally used in commercial practice.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIOUS VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

Illustration 1 is a perspective view of Ralph Shugert.

Illustration 2 is a perspective view of Argento Variengata.

The accompanying photographic illustrations show typical foliage of thecultivar and the closest known comparison cultivar, with color being asaccurate as possible with renditions of this type. The photographs weretaken at 10:00 a.m. on a sunny autumn morning in Michigan. The film usedwas Kodakrome ISO 64, converted to Kodak prints. No filters were used.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the basic characteristics of Ralph Shugert, which in combinationdistinguish this periwinkle as a new and distinct cultivar. The colorcodes correspond to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart.

1. Stems of this cultivar arise at acute angles to the growing medium.These stems droop over and contact the medium as their weight increasesduring elongation. They then trail in a vine like fashion, with limitedor no branching.

2. Typical stems are suffrutiscent (woody at the base and moreherbaceous terminally), and are a uniformly colored medium green 147B.The stems are round, and have diameters of about 3/32 of an inch.

3. Internodes range in length from about 1 to 2 inches. The nodes areswollen and root after about 4 to 8 weeks of contact with the growingmedium. Thereafter, the plants generate new shoots from their crowns.

4. Evergreen foliage is simple and arranged in opposite pairs. In youth,the foliage is irregularly crinkled and colored a medium green 141A withyellowish cream colored margins 145A. During maturation, the leavesenlarge and become smooth. The adult foliage is attached by long, lightgreen 145A petioles of about 1/2 inch.

5. The leaf blades are reflexed, and range from 1 to 11/2 inches inlength by 3/4 to 1 inch across. They are ovate shaped (occasionallytending toward oblong ovate); their apexes are acute to obtusish; andtheir bases are typically acute.

6. The midribs are prominent, elevated dorsally and light green in color145B. Primary branches are elevated at obtuse angles to the basal endsof the midribs. They have the same dark green color 139A as the leafcenters. Leaf color is glossy deep green 139A. The white 157B margin istypically 1/32 inch wide and entire.

7. Bisexual solitary flowers are borne primarily in mid-spring andsporadically through the growing season on 1/2 inch long, light green145B peduncles from the leaf axils.

8. The flowers are typically composed of calyxes of five, small, linearcalyx lobes, which are light green in color 145C and 1/4 inch long by1/8 inch across. Often splotched medium green 141C centrally.

9. The corolla is more or less funnelform, 1 to 13/8 inches in diameter,five lobed, and colored deep violet 90B.

10. The seldom observed fruit are pairs of elongate, light green 143C(to 11/2 inches long) cylindrical follicles.

The only registered and most closely related cultivar is Vinca minorArgenteo-Variegata. It is variegated, like Ralph Shugert, but its leavesare flattish rather than reflexed. Its leaves are irregularly splotchedin creamy white, which extends throughout the center of the leaves. Theleaves of Ralph Shugert, however, are thinly edged in white. The flowersare also different; namely pale lilac rather than deep violet, as inRalph Shugert.

Propagation is successfully achieved by layering, cuttings (leaf nodeand stems) and crown division. No resistance to common diseases andpests of this host has, to date, been verified.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct lesser periwinkle plant named RalphShugert, as described and illustrated.